Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-06
DntiJ(iEr.
tLongmanAl
CHAPTER I.


:; hng-room down stairs near the street
s,a two little bed rooms up stairs near the
80 From our sitting room, as we sat
"a corrected exercises and mended
-. ~ owes and made our gowns.
QUIZ g a look across the way At
81 CHI, 'dren from less gcnteel
ssraets VIII. came to keep shops on
the cn;et O oor-steps, could watch the
shadows from the opposite houses creep
nearer ne a. the dsy grew, and could
follow the int Trupted course of the
milkman AMI th ciumpetman as they
came by at their tated times and made
the air musical wi. h jingling cans and
bell. Up.stairs We had wider view-of
red house.tops begr mined with smoke,
a city OF chimney sta ok, and an easterly
sky where the sun arose. Looking
hack. there is notl ing else that |
remember as well as that land OF
sky-with the san SHINING red
through the vintar mist, or ten
der with the clear soft light of spring
or autumn mornings, or with the stars
shining down at night from the far-away
crayness. and the moon slowly parting
The clouds. looking down calmly ON II
Cas.lit csrish world | can still conlure
mp clear pictures of that land oil SKY
And with the pictures. 10 gave them
reality. there always comes ano'uef re-
collection-Bridgets voice, as morning
after morning, night after ne IN, II came
through the thin PARTITION irolN tue room
next mine-Bridgets voice repeating IN
clear, unenthusiaStlc, even tones, Eu-
cId's propositions and Latin verbs US
she arose or went TO bed.
Budgets voice was like Bridget. 1t
WAS an undistractcd voice. II Bndget
ever looked from her window as she
moved 10 and fro, the sunrise over the
roofs. the quiet night sky aid not claim
her attentb n there were no absent
minded pauses between her lenses and
her propositions. There was no under
note Of impotence or WEAKNESS or
dreaminess in her teDe. She spoke
clearly. crisply. without distraction, but
without eagerness.
Whenever | think of Bridget 1t is ilrst
her voice that comes back to me ltWes
a Characteristic voIce-and yet less char
acteristic, perhaps. OF Bridget as she
was than OF Bridge; as she seemed TO be
and wished 10 be
Ny memory holds a clear picture OF
Bridget still. In my memory she always
wears a staff gown Of chocolate brown,
with straight body guiltless of trim
ming and scanty skirt cut shorter than
fashion deems seemly. He. gown makes
her slimness look Ike thlnness; IL
aiyes her an air of purpose ana
decision it somehow affects lGnd-ladlcs
with a sense OF her kecnness IN money
matters and her deafness IN matters oil
frivolity and sentiment. She Is a pretty
girl, but not very pretty. Her httle
clear-cut oval face wants color anu SOFT
ness. Her gray eyes have too snlieleSs
a glance her lips rarely laugh her
brown HAIR is so neatly braided that
peatpess seems fault. She sits and
reads or sews or writes. Now and then,
AT rare interxals, she looks up and speaks
10 me-she looks straight at me, gIayely
and calmly-sometimes there IS touch
of dry humor in her words or tone, but
her face remains Us grave and unamused
ms ever. That is Bridget as l see her
still
1t was never very easy TO explain,
either TO others or to ourselves, why
Bridget and / had chosen to lodge to-
gether. There had been no sufficient
motive Of friendship, or similarity OF
thought, or need of companionshlp; we
lodged together for year aud never
drifted beyond kindly acquaintancesmp
into closer intimacy. But as aclualnt-
ances we got on well together, aud our
plan of jolnt housekeeping proved de-
sirable plan enough. Ally Dind was uh-
practical-Bridget was reserved but we
4o,r lfe
and displayed no evil, irritable tempers
Budgets reserve was subtle quality
She was as reserved to herself, l think,
as to any one. Her words were, more
often than not, cloak for her thoughts
and she spoke with a Truthful dlrectness
that convinced her hearers, and some
times. perhaps, herself. She did not
deceive herself with tiattery the oplh-
ions which she said she held were AWAY
narrow the motives which she assigned
10 herself were always unadmlrable her
nature. she said, was cramped and inca
pable Of the larger, generous virtues mel
mind, so she said, dwelt always on the pro
sale side OF life, and her lncllnauoS wa
10 disbelieve in any other; she had DC
love, she said, for humanity ; the sorrows
Of mankind had always failed to toUci
her She could bear to contemplate 4
starving peasantry more easily than th'
lack OF marmaiade at tea her soul, sh'
declared, had one window only, and tina
was m earihward window which qua no
look beyond the narrow sphere OF he
own needs. Poor Bridget SOmewher
in the world, as she goes about he
work. she is telling herself, no doubt
with more or less success, the same stOr'
about herself still. -,
For eight or nine months lived Will
Bridget without ever catching ghmps
beneath the surface. Then events hap
nened that made me doubt her own esti
mate OF herself.
II was an afternoon late in Octobe
and we were coming home together iron
the day school where we taught walking
briskly because the wind was chill an
me clouds overhead looked heavy wit
rain. As we neared home at Il wild
crossing. where noisier, buster stree
mt our own at right angles, we stoo
IT'LL 70 wait. The confusion there wa
bewildering this afternoon. Half a doze
shrill-yoiced children were marching b
in disorderly file beating strange drum
ans on battered tea-tray and a
iii tin kettle. A wagon heavily lade
With planks rumbled slowly up til
treet; down the street, with dull
heavy. monotonous thud over the stone
same traction ngine-black, hideou
diabolical. was talking TO Bridget al
observing her TO see whether she acqu
esced in what / said, when look
horror flashed across her face, and SUI
denly she darted forward A child W
crossing the road and had falle
Next moment Bridget held hi
in her arms, and the engine W
booming past over the spot whe
he had lain. She was in the mi
die OF the crossing, and ran to the 9th
side, just escaping the heavy WACO
which the driver had hurriedly pull,
back. jutting plank touched her ar
and bruised and grazed the chld's che,